Names Not Andy delivers a unique style that bends rap and melodic singing. His music has hip-hop inspired instrumentation but goes in different directions from track to track. He is able to blend psychedelic guitar strums to a hazy melancholic hip-hop sound. This can be heard in songs like “Battle Heart”. It takes his style in strange directions and is a great sound which he further explores and make his own on other tracks. Names Not Andy is a very diverse and eclectic artist. Listening to his album “Misunderstood” gives you fair idea of his thematic creativity, which here forges a broody stoner sound.
Not adverse to meddling with Lo-fi, Trap, Rock, Metal and even Jazz influences, NNA has 2 album releases setup for 2019. In the meantime he has dropped the single “Trifilin” which will feature on one of the albums, to be entitled, “thepits.exe”.
And it’s a different beast to the previous album, showing that Names Not Andy can switch from slow-motion drugged-out sounds to rearing his fangs and injecting venom directly into the beating heart of a record. There’s an abundance of conviction and resentment in his delivery on “Trifilin” as he spits: “The only time anyone care about me, is when I got money or weed.”
This sounds like a step in yet another direction, and an improvement, in terms of pure accessibility, from previous efforts, yet still continues to showcase Names Not Andy’s undeniable appeal. In this moment, there are few artist that manage, or probably even dare to draw from so many diverse influences. He’s obviously not afraid to pepper his influences and tastes across the body of his works to surprisingly stellar results, at least for the most part anyway.
It’s impossible to look the other way with Names Not Andy, he is one of those polarizing artists, whom you either love or hate, but you just cannot ignore. His new track, “Trifilin”, imbues most of the tropes in contemporary emo-styled trapper rap, with an omnipresent sonic fog meant to hypnotize your senses. Indeed, we’re frequently drawn into connecting with Names Not Andy emotionally, on some level, while listening to his music.
Though he is in line with the modern trap sounds, NNA isn’t attempting to follow the crowd. He wants to stand out. Hence he’s taking his music in a different direction by taking risks that should eventually pay off. One look at his back catalog, however, confirms that he has always taken risks and thinks outside the box with his art.
The production with a genuine vibe pays off. Though he successfully blends genres, on this track, he goes for a booming bassline and hissing hi-hats production and moves straight into discussing his personal struggles. The disillusioned vibe is a defining moment for the rapper on this record, in capturing listener empathy.
He keeps it real and showcases his affliction: “Nobody is liking me, why is you trifilin, all you fuckers are fake”. The result is an infectious beat and euphonic vocals, hooking listeners from beginning to end.
OFFICIAL LINKS: SOUNDCLOUD – SPOTIFY – INSTAGRAM – YOUTUBE
